Lonely Birthday
by redphyire
Summary: The first birthday Matsumoto celebrates after the winter war. Spoilers for chapter 416!  Gin x Rangiku .One-shot, Complete.


**Title: **Lonely Birthday

**Pairings: **Gin x Rangiku, Hitsugaya x Hinamori, if you squint.

**Spoilers: **Spoilers for chapter 416.

**Rating: **K+

**A/N:**

Hey minna-chan~ Heheh, here's my first ever fanfiction! I've always been a fan of GinRan (the first fanfic I've read was based on them ^^), so I figured out that the first one I write will be it :D

Please be gentle~ I'm an amateur. Reviews and other suggestions or pointers are very much welcomed (:

Enjoy~

**Lonely Birthday**

**Matsumoto's POV**

The pain was unbearable. It felt like a hot iron was being shoved down my throat. I just closed my eyes and prepared for the worst- death. It couldn't be helped. I was so drained of my energy that my fingers wouldn't even move.

After what seemed like eternity, light footsteps could be heard. I then felt something being placed near my mouth, motioning me to eat it. Using all my might, I shifted my head to its direction and my eyes creaked open.

The image was blurry, but I could make out a boy about my age, sporting a silver hair carrying a bunch of what looked like pessimons. "Ara, ara. Look at you. Here, eat this," he offered.

"Who… are… you?" I somehow managed to say.

"Gin. Ichimaru Gin," he smiled while putting one of my arms around his shoulder, helping me to stand.

"Gin… what a weird name…"

-x-

That, was the first ever memory I had of Gin.

-x-

"Hey Ran-chan," he asked me one day.

Ran-chan was a pet name he had given me.

"Mmm?" I replied, while I was eating. We were having our first meal in two days.

"When's your birthday?"

"Ara, why so sudden? Hmm… Let's see. I don't remember,"

"Then I'll give you one."

"Huh? I don't get it."

"Remember the day I saved you?"

"What? Of course I do!" I replied almost instantly, feeling a little bit insulted that he even had to ask if I remembered such an important date.

"That day… Will be your birthday." He said, putting on that same old fox smile of his.

"Oh… Okay…" I replied as I felt my face heat up for some reason.

-x-

_Ring!_ The alarm clock sounded.

I jolted up from my bed. It was time to wake up. That night, was the third time I had dreamt of him that month. And each time, I had woken up crying. My shirt and the pillow was damp. It has been more than a year since the winter war.

_Gin…_

Realising that I was thinking of him again, I shook my head, as if that would rid me of all my painful memories. I tossed and turned in my bed, trying to sneak a few more minutes into my sleep. But somehow, I just couldn't seem to forget him.

I couldn't forget the bloodied images of the winter war either.

The scene of Aizen stabbing him would replay in my head. I had cried for a million times after that. No amount of consoles could pacify me. He was my everything. And I lost it.

When he was deemed a traitor by many, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. That wasn't the Gin I had known. Even when he had "betrayed" Soul Society, he was still alive. But now, he was gone.

Before I knew it, I was sobbing all over again. I buried my face into my pillow and clutched on tightly to this piece of cloth.

Which had been part of Gin's captain haori.

I somehow managed to get a piece of it after he had passed away. And since then, I have been carrying it with me everywhere. I sniffed the cloth as if I could smell him. But his familiar scent was gone. I felt very tired. I wanted to wake up from this never ending nightmare. But we can't keep running away forever. We have to face reality someday.

Most of the victims of the battle was slowly moving on. Hitsugaya was still blaming himself for the injuries on Hinamori but he was training almost everyday to become stronger and overcome any challenges. But it was only a pity that the brunette was too dense to realize his feelings.

Izuru, who had mourned over the same man as me, was more or less over it. "Matsumoto-san, he died as a hero. That fact is good enough." He told me one day. Izuru was one of the people whom I had told what my relationship with Gin was.

Just then, I heard a knock on the door which had snapped me out of my deep reverie.

"Matsumoto, hurry up if you want to follow me." I recognized that voice.

"Hai, Taichou!" I replied, trying to sound as cheerful as I could. Hitsugaya Taichou was going to train again. I always tagged along.

-x-

After a long day of training, we made our way back to the tenth division.

"Oh, before I forget, Happy Birthday Matsumoto."

I jerked when I heard this. I didn't notice it until he wished me a happy birthday.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, n-nothing. Arigatou, Taichou," I smiled.

-x-

That birthday was the first birthday I celebrated after Gin died.

_Its going to be a lonely birthday without him…_

The day has come once again. The day this particular silver-haired boy saved me from dying. The day he took me in. The day I fell in love.

He'll be the man I'll forever love, Ichimaru Gin.

YEAHH! IM DONE. Woots. Okay! Here's my first fanfiction. I hoped you guys have liked it :D

Once again, don't be harsh. But please do review (:


End file.
